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By Purity Francis
A businessman, Alhaji Akeem Osuolale, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to intervene in the conduct of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, over a disputed property involving his company and another party.
Osuolale urged the AIG, Olahundare Jimoh, to withdraw from the land dispute involving his company, Nigercat Nigeria Limited, and SkyView Properties, insisting that the matter is still pending before a competent court.
The businessman, who is chairman of Nigercat Nigeria Limited, also challenged Jimoh to publicly declare his interest in the ongoing Lekki land dispute.
He alleged that Jimoh had favoured SkyView Properties since his tenure as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, allegedly due to the involvement of a former Senate President, despite the ongoing litigation.
Osuolale called on IGP Disu to call the AIG to order over alleged plans to arrest him and charge him to court. He also demanded that another police formation take over the investigation.
“He has come out to say I am blackmailing him now. He should also come out and tell the public that he started meddling in this issue since his days as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State. He should be bold enough to tell us whose interest he is protecting,” he said.
Osuolale questioned why court sheriffs and other court officials were allegedly absent during the purported execution of a court judgment.
“He claimed that he received a petition for protection from SkyView. Why were the court sheriffs and other court workers not present when they claimed to be executing a court judgment?
“We also wrote a petition to him, but instead of inviting both parties for questioning, he discarded our petition, describing it as lacking merit.
“At least, you need to bring the two parties to the table, listen to them and examine their documents before arriving at a decision. He did not even bother to listen to us before taking sides,” the businessman alleged.
Recounting the origin of the dispute, Osuolale accused Jimoh of working against the alleged rightful owner of the property since assuming office as Lagos Commissioner of Police.
“Without investigation, he concluded that SkyView was the owner of the property without hearing anything from the 89-year-old owner, who was forced to relocate abroad.
“It took the intervention of the former IGP before he could release some of our workers who were detained when he was serving as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State,” he alleged.
The businessman questioned why the matter was taken to Zone 2 again, despite having been referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, for investigation by Jimoh when he was commissioner.
“Since the matter is already being investigated at the State CID, Panti, where AIG Jimoh referred it while he was Commissioner of Police, why did he take the matter to Zone 2 again?
“Already, there is a stay of execution on the judgment being claimed by SkyView, but because of his interest, he did not bother to investigate. He is just interested in protecting SkyView,” Osuolale alleged.
The businessman also presented a video of the disputed site showing some persons allegedly demolishing an existing structure and evacuating debris.
“They claim to have been in possession of the land. The AIG should explain whose structure they were demolishing in the video,” he demanded.
Osuolale reiterated his appeal to IGP Disu to direct Jimoh to withdraw from the matter and allow another police formation to handle the investigation.
“Before the AIG resumed as Commissioner of Police, the matter had already been investigated and a report submitted at Zone 2, but he jettisoned all these and concluded that SkyView was the owner of the land.
“SkyView claims to have bought the land from a certain Yomi Edu, who also claimed to have bought it from the original owner, Pa Ajibode.
“Has the AIG invited both 89-year-old Pa Ajibode and the said Yomi Edu for investigation? The former AIG invited them on different occasions. It was only the old man who came from the United States, while the other person did not show up,” he said.
The businessman alleged that the matter was yet to be determined by the Court of Appeal, while structures on the disputed land had been demolished with policemen from Zone 2 allegedly providing security during the exercise.
